Greg loses eight stones and takes almost 15 hours to become a true Iron Man

LITTLE more than a year after weighing in at 26 stones Greg Hunt has completed a gruelling physical feat.

His quest to go from Fat Man to Iron Man has been followed by scores of people in his bitterly honest blog and raised £1,400 for disability charity Scope.

After 14 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds swimming 2.4 miles in a sea of people which resembled "mutated mackerel", cycling 112 miles and then running a marathon, Greg leapt across the finishing line.

"It was absolutely phenomenal," said the Truro Running Club member. "I can't even describe how it felt.

"I was flying through the air thinking, 'I don't know if my legs have enough power left to land this'."

During the "nerve-racking" build-up in Tenby, Wales, he was approached by a stranger who had been following his progress online and said he was "inspirational".

And after people swam over him, cyclists fell in heavy rain, his legs went into cramp and a competitor covered in blood and bandages inspired him to finish, he said: "When I realised that the eight competitors transferring from the cycle to the run with me felt awful too it picked me up a bit – I realised it was how you were meant to feel.

"It's such a big feat, how can you possibly do that much exercise? But people were shouting my name every step of the way and you just do it.

"There were some horrible bits and some great bits. But it was great fun – I don't think I'll ever have an experience like that again.

"It doesn't feel real at all, it feels like a dream."

Despite finishing 1,069th out of about 1,600 in one of the UK's toughest triathlons, Greg, from Mylor Bridge, still does not consider himself fit.

He added: "I'm 18 stones, still quite big. I've learnt to be happy with it but I'm going to lose some more.

"I feel so great, I don't want it to stop. I want to become an athlete, not just think of the next stupid thing I can do."

He celebrated with a pizza, but was out running again three days later.

He has thanked Truro Running Club, Matt Pullen, from Trizone in Truro, family and friends.